


Sweet Stars

by xenoshadel



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Ballroom Dancing, F/M, Fluff, Platonic Relationships, Subtle Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-05
Updated: 2016-03-05
Packaged: 2018-05-24 20:22:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6165634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xenoshadel/pseuds/xenoshadel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Shepherds finally made it to Valm, and to celebrate their arrival they were invited to a ball hosted by a noble. Cordelia and Gaius are two of the guests on the list, and will the night be as sweet as the ball's theme?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sweet Stars

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Signel_chan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Signel_chan/gifts).



Stepping into a new territory is like creating a clean slate—there are new expectations to uphold and maintain, especially if they involved the lives of others. Another new ground to walk on but the same blood to be spilled by the same enemy; the mysteries of Valm were in the Shepherds' hands now. Though upon their arrival, they were treated with a warm welcome and a place to recollect themselves. Boxes of new weaponry were settled down and a nearby river was found to wash away the tainted scars on armor. The peace was almost too good to be true—the quiet river and the lack of crimson stains on the ground, the laughter shared with the army. Perhaps that will change should the Shepherds encounter another unexpected battle in the new country, but otherwise all was clean.

_Scrunch—scrunch—splash!_

Well, almost everything was clean.

"Me and my sweet tooth, gods damnit," the thief muttered as he scrubbed on the sticky stain of his leather gauntlet.

Celebrating the Shepherds' victory and arrival at Valm seemed worthy of a few too many sticky cakes, as Gaius would often argue to any onlooker. Worth the stains and cleaning time, he would say, and he sighed as he inspected the gauntlet once more.

"Close enough." He shrugged, tying it to his belt to dry for the moment before he decided to head back to his tent. Green eyes glanced around and caught the heads of his comrades. Robin and Cherche chatting by the temporary mess tent, Frederick attending to his horse, and—oh!—the tall figure of Cordelia examining a barrel of lances away from the others.

Realization hit the thief and a smirk tugged on his lips, and with a lollipop in hand to pop in his mouth, Gaius strolled towards the Pegasus knight. "Hey, Feathers!"

Being one of the few to have _two_ nicknames from Gaius, Cordelia chuckled at the sound of the more tolerable nickname. She turned her head and smiled in greeting. "Hello, Gaius."

"You got a little something right there." Gaius pointed at his cheek to indicate the spot.

Concern furrowed the woman's eyebrows when she quickly wiped at her cheek and her eyes narrowed into a scowl when Gaius snickered.

"Oh very funny, as if you're the clean one here," she muttered, gesturing to the crumbs scattered on the thief's clothes. "Wearing black clothing while eating colorful confections only makes it more obvious."

"Worth the trouble into cleaning up, I'd say." Gaius shrugged, leaning away from her when she attempted to brush the crumbs away. "When the time unfortunately comes."

No use in arguing with the thief known for having sticky fingers—especially for both definitions. She only rolled her eyes and turned to pick up her chosen lance. "I take that you're not here for another lesson in proper grooming?"

"Not today, mother," he said, grinning at her returning scowl from her ‘less tolerable' nickname, "But I did hear something earlier from Blue that might interest you." The thief smirked when the redhead perked at the mention of the exalt. 

"And that would be?"

"Some royal from the city next door got excited about Blue and the army being here, so he decided to throw a ball to welcome him to the country and invited anyone who wants to come along." Gaius picked at the wrapper from the lollipop. "Heard that it might be a themed one for the kicks of it, and it'll be tonight."

"So soon?" The thought of an event that didn't involve a tainted sword or growling Risen was already appealing, but how to prepare for it when she finally had the time to lay down her weapons? "Who else will be coming?"

Gaius shrugged. "Bubbles, Princess, Twinkles, pretty much everyone when the mention of food and mead was passed around. Now imagine the cakes to be served—"

"You're thinking about going too?"

"Well yeah, Feathers. Who am I to say no to an invitation to taste a royal bakery for Blue?"

Cordelia shook her head. "No I mean, you're going dressed like _this_?"

He probably should've seen this coming, be it from the way she would point out a smudge on his clothes or smear of jam on his face. Gaius audibly sighed. "Is that a problem if I'll avoid the powdered doughnuts, mother?"

There goes the dissatisfied nickname. "It's a problem in the presence of royalty," Cordelia explained, crossing her arms.

As if the thief would've cared, and he waved his hand in indifference. "What's the big deal?"

"It's practically a once in a lifetime chance for everyone to get out of their armor, look glamorous, and have a good time with decent company."

"You sound like you have a fancy gown for yourself already," Gaius snorted.

Cordelia blinked in realization. "I don't. But you know what?" A smile curled her lips, one that the thief knew he had no way to escape from. "We still have the whole day to go shopping for the proper attire!"

Gaius grimaced at the thought of all the markets he'll be dragged to. "...Can't another lesson in getting the syrup out of my shirt be enough?"

"No, because you will actually look presentable!" The look of defeat was evident on the thief's face and Cordelia grinned in triumph, grabbing his arm with her free hand. "I have just enough bullion for us to search through the markets!"

Gaius rolled his head back and groaned as the Pegasus knight tugged him away. "Gods have mercy on me."

"And what did you say about getting syrup on you _again_?"

"…The gods have forsaken me."

***

Needless to say for the thief, snatching a fancy suit and calling it good would have been much easier than being scrutinized by Cordelia whenever she picked out a suit for him to try on and shook her head at it for not being the _right_ suit. And yet, he still bit down his complaints if it meant giving the redhead a more peace of mind for the night. It wasn't often that he saw an excited glimmer in her eyes whenever she looked at a dress or piece of jewelry, and as he watched her empty the bag of bullion to the merchant and gathered her purchases, Gaius knew that he had to withstand the night and accept it as it was. The Shepherds deserved a pleasant night, he supposed, and especially the tireless perfectionist of a knight.

Along with the right attire came the complimentary haircut for the thief, much to his distaste when he was pushed down on a stool and had a robe wrapped around him.

"It wasn't getting _that_ long," Gaius sighed, and Cordelia readied her comb and scissors with an attentive look on her face.

"No, but it's always nice to go the extra mile into looking as spiffy as a noble."

Gaius smirked. "I think they're the ones needing that mile or two to reach my level of attraction."

A soft _smack!_ at his head answered him, and Cordelia shook her head in amusement as she snipped away. "To each their own, Gaius."

With his head down for the knight to layer the back of his head, Gaius watched the small locks of ginger hair roll down his robe. "You know, with the way you spent bullion on me and are giving me a haircut," –he rolled his head back at the final snip to cheekily smile at her—"Is this your way of asking me to be your date?"

The scissors stopped in midair and Cordelia gave him an odd look. "What do you mean?"

"Everyone else is paired up and planning out matching outfits, and with us being the only ones left it'll look like we're a pair when we show up there."

"Was that the theme?"

"'Star-crossed fates' or something like that," Gaius chuckled. "I was going to explain it to you before you flipped out over my perfect and fancy attire."

"Perfect attire for a disaster and poor impression," she curtly corrected, moving his head to cut a long strand of hair. "I couldn't let you go in the ball like that."

"Yeah, sure." He rolled his eyes. "But if you knew the theme, would you have asked anyone?"

She hesitated. "If there was anyone left."

"Doubting your charms?" Gaius teased.

"Well, Chrom would've been taken. I don't know about asking Frederick or Vaike, so… I don't know."

_Snip snip snip._

"But I'm glad that there's still you, Gaius," Cordelia continued, brushing away the loose hair. "I trust you the most out of anyone, despite your take on maintaining your hygiene."

She hummed in satisfaction at her work and removed the robe around Gaius. He took the small mirror she offered him and whistled at his reflection before reaching for his headband and tying it back in place. He turned his head to flash her a smile. "Anyone who saved my life can be counted on in my book. Hope that tonight will still be sweet for you even when I'm not as dashing as Blue."

She looked at him in surprise and he got up to leave, waving his hand before he disappeared through the tent flaps. "See you soon, Cordelia."

Cordelia watched the flaps settle back into place. "Oh Gaius," she sighed. "Even when you're far from the life of nobility, you're still more noble than most others I know." She collected the ginger hair on the ground into a small bin to toss away and returned her supplies to their proper pouches. 

She still pondered over his words, smiling at the memory of the day she rescued him from a group of Risen with her Pegasus in tow. Lance and sword in their respective hands, the two cleared the area with surprising ease. Gaius was always one to keep track of those he owed certain things, be it his life or a share in cleaning duty, but Cordelia insisted on pairing up in future battles being enough to cover the price. The thief still poked fun at her for being too generous, but he didn't mind siding with the knight. Lives were shared and saved by each other's hands, and even outside of battle they still shared their time with each other—despite it mostly involving Gaius being scolded for a proper grooming—and now tonight at the ball. If Cordelia was being honest, she looked forward to the night and spending it with a close—if not the closest—companion she ever made.

***

The chatter of excitement rolled in waves as the Shepherds made their way towards the noble's mansion. Some rode in chariots or on horses, others chose to walk on foot to point out the stars peaking in the sky. Thankful for buying a long gown, Cordelia swooped towards the source of flashy lights and spewing fountains on her Pegasus, who was also groomed for the occasion. Oddly enough, the thief declined the offer of riding with her to the entrance when it was time to prepare for the night. She hadn't seen him since then, and once she thanked a noble servant for taking her Pegasus to a stable, she looked around for the familiar head of ginger hair.

The torches and sparklers around her illuminated the silver shine of her dress and necklace. After careful thought over a gown in the markets, she figured a metallic color with matching jewelry would be worthy in front of a noble's eye—though that wasn't the main eye she was hoping to catch. Cordelia caught the squeals of delight from the noblewomen when the exalt made his way towards the owner of the mansion, his knight and tactician a few steps behind him. The redhead held her gaze at the small group, and she snapped back to reality when she heard footsteps and the familiar sound of Gaius clearing his throat.

"Finally found you, Feathers."

Just as she was about to tease him for getting lost, Cordelia lost her words when she turned to fully look at him. "Gaius—!"

A black suit and silver tie replaced the normal attire of the thief, though he still kept his headband on and little confections tucked in the limited pockets he had. The new haircut accented his cheekbones, and he shuffled uncomfortably under the tight clothing, quirking an eyebrow at her reaction.

"What?" Gaius asked, slightly annoyed. "I double checked to see if there were any crumbs and I didn't get a single spot on me, but if I screwed up _this_ time—"

"Gaius, it's not that," Cordelia interrupted, "You just look really handsome."

Gaius took a moment to register her words before his face split into a grin. "Now how about that? Mother finally approves." Not to mention the blush on her cheeks that he chose to remain quiet about. He offered her his elbow. "I'd say a stop at the desserts table to celebrate."

"Don't ruin the moment with your sweet tooth," she sighed, though her eyes still crinkled in amusement as she slipped an arm around his offered elbow and walked up to the ball.

The nobleman certainly exceeded everyone's expectations, not that he needed to for Chrom. Never the one for flashy events or exchanging pleasantries with stuffy nobles, the exalt still voiced his appreciation towards the noble's generosity. Long tables were filled with exotic food and drinks, an orchestra was tucked in the corner of the great hall, and chandeliers hung with flickering candles. Selected fire mages performed tricks and illuminated the room alongside the little bolts of lightning from the thunder mages. As expected for the very finest, the prideful host would have explained, and Cordelia took in the room with wide eyes.

Gaius tuned out the speeches of honor and nearly made a beeline towards the table of sweets when the last noble voiced their thoughts over the army's bravery. Smirking in amusement at her vanished escort, Cordelia made her way towards the center of the room when the orchestra announced their preparation for the first song. Eagerness quickened her pace but the effort was in vain when a noblewoman rushed towards Chrom and asked for his hand on the first dance. Disappointment stopped the redhead in her tracks when he accepted her offer, and Cordelia didn't have time to mull it over when a hand suddenly grabbed her waist and spun her around.

Cordelia gasped and saw the cheeky smile of Gaius when he took her hands to begin the dance. His tie shined against the bright room and by some miracle there wasn't a stain nor crumb on his suit. "Missed your best bud and dashing escort?" he asked with a wink.

"To some degree," she teased back, following his movements with the music. "But I'm glad that the suit was spared from the sweets."

"With how much this was worth? I wouldn't want it to go to waste," Gaius said, though he bit his tongue on mentioning the appeal of replacing it with looser clothing in a heartbeat. "And hey,''—he twirled her once before having her face him—"You look nice."

The cheeky smile was still there but there was a thoughtful glimmer to his eyes, and Cordelia faintly blushed as the dance continued. Upon the end of the song, the men stepped back to bow and the women curtsied before choosing a new partner to dance with. Giggles were shared at the new exchange and Cordelia found herself facing Frederick, who smiled at her when he offered her his hand.

The next song was upbeat and lively, laughter sweeping across the room as everyone danced to the rhythm. The pauses in the song allowed for the people to exchange partners if they wanted to, and a bright smile was glued on the Pegasus knight's face as she danced with her fellow comrades. There was a time when she danced with Gaius again before he spun away to his next victim, and Cordelia grinned at the thought of the thief having a fun time, or at least a time that didn't involve sweets. The thief danced along with ease, moving smoothly with the tactician as his current partner and his eyes twinkled in delight.

Despite the lively atmosphere, Cordelia hoped to share a dance with Chrom, even if it meant controlling the fluttering in her heart. Another new song performed, curtsies and bows were made, and still a noblewoman rushed her way towards the exalt in excitement. Chrom only politely nodded in acknowledgment and offered her his hand to begin the next dance.

Disappointment washed over the redhead's features and she excused herself from the dance, claiming that she needed fresh air for the time being. The balcony of the mansion was secluded and boasted a handsome view of the noble's front yard, and Cordelia rested her arms on the rails, breathing out a low exhale. The stars glittered in the sky, and she fixed her eyes on them while listening to the laughter from the great hall.

"Hey, Feathers." A low voice interrupted her thoughts and she turned to see the thief leaning against the door, a few sticks of cake pops in his hands. "Couldn't handle the stuffy nobles?"

"Something like that," she sighed.

He offered her one of the delicacies and she absently accepted it, twirling the stick between her fingers. Gaius gave her a look of understanding. "Didn't go as you thought it would?"

"Not exactly, but I probably shouldn't have given the ball expectations, or myself any," Cordelia said, and Gaius hummed in thought. "I was having a pleasant time though, and that's what should matter."

"You know," Gaius hesitated before he planned his next words, "I know how much you wanted to be with Blue, and even though I'm not him, I hope that I still made an alright escort for you." He toyed with the remaining cake pops in his hands. "And even though I'm—"

"Gaius."

Green eyes looked into her red ones and noticed the soft look in them. "You don't have to keep comparing yourself to Chrom," Cordelia explained, a small smile on her lips.

"You sure about that?"

"I never compared you to Chrom because you make a great friend and companion in battle, hence why I always preferred to pair up with you. Even if I was asked to choose another partner to fight with, or if everyone was still open to ask to the ball, I would still go to you, Gaius."

Gaius stared at her for a long moment and then he smiled at her, one without the mischievous glint in his eyes. "Star-crossed fates, eh?"

Cordelia laughed. "I guess so."

The thief watched when she finally took a bite out of the cake pop and sighed, though the sound wasn't in disappointment or disdain, but content. Laughter was heard and a toast was served in honor of the exalt and army on the other side of the balcony's door. Cheers went around and the Pegasus knight brushed off the crumbs in a delicate manner. "Well, I'm glad it was still me," Gaius said, and he leaned forward to kiss her cheek.

Red eyes widened in surprise and Gaius winked at her. "I'll be waiting for another dance, Cordelia," he said, and he slipped away through the door.

Twinkling stars matched the glimmer in her eyes and Cordelia softly smiled. Maybe his words rang true after all, she wondered as she stepped back into the ballroom in time for another dance.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm rather fond of this pairing and this was a lot of fun to work with! I hope the lovely gifter will enjoy it! <3 . I also have a [ko-fi page](http://ko-fi.com/A35327K1/) if anyone ever wants to leave me a tip!


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